The MLB season is winding on down with only around 44 games left in the regular season for each ball club.  It’s time to make those runs for the playoffs.  I’m going to take a look at the AL East here today.  Currently, the NY Yankees and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays are tied atop the division and are the best two teams in the American League with identical records of 72-46.  That means that if the season were to end today both of these teams would make the playoffs.  Not far behind, sitting in 3^rd place is the always dangerous Boston Red Sox at 67-52 only 5 ½ games out of 1^st place.  The Toronto Blue Jays are not having a bad season at 63-55 but they sit in 4^th place, nine games out of 1^st.  Toronto will need to make one of those huge runs to get back into things.  Baltimore sits in 5^th place, 30 ½ games out of 1st and are not going to see any postseason action again this year with a record of 42-77. 

                One of the keys to winning down the stretch is staying healthy.  Let’s look at some of the key players on the disabled list. The Yankees currently have Starting Pitcher Andy Pettite on the DL.  The Devil Rays have Pitchers Wade Davis and Jeff Niemann on the DL.  The Red Sox are pretty banged up.  They should get Dustin Pedroia back tonight which will help out big time but one of their key players, Kevin Youkalis, is out for the season along with Pitcher Junichi Tazawa.  The Red Sox are also without Jacob Ellsbury, Mike Cameron (possibly done for year) and catchers Jason Varitek and Kevin Cash.  Toronto lost pitcher Jesse Litsch for the season.  The Orioles have the least amount of players on the DL with only three but that won’t help them this year.

                I think the NY Yankees will win the AL East with Tampa Bay winning the Wild Card race.  These two teams face each other two more series this year, one in New York and one in Tampa Bay.  I feel like Boston is a little too banged up to make up ground this season and Toronto is just a little too far back to get back into the race.  And, of course, the Orioles don’t have a chance.  Tampa Bay started off super this year and it’s going to be an interesting stretch run between them and the Yankees.  Sit back, relax and watch a very interesting race down the stretch!